Apparatus for automatically removing lint from above and below the warp of textile looms



Jan. 10, 1956 Filed Dec. 27, 1950 C. DE V. MILLER ETAL APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY REMOVING LINT FROM ABOVE AND BELOW THE WARP OF TEXTILE LOOMS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TORS 01,9204 DE. K M/LLEE & PEA NCAS M Becks/2 477' ENEYS Jan. 10, 1956 c. DE v. MILLER ETAL 2,729,845

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY REMOVING um FROM ABOVE AND BELOW THE WARP OF TEXTILE LOOMS Filed Dec. 2'7. 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS 042,001 DATKM/Ll. 5.? f s reA/vc/Ls M EEC/([4? 1956 c. DE v. MILLER ETAL 2,729,845

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY REMOVING LINT FROM ABOVE AND BELOW THE WARP OF TEXTILE LOOMS Filed Dec. 27, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TORS CAPEOL 015 M M/L 1. 1? & PEA/vols /v. BECKEE BY ATTORNEYS Jan. 10, 1956 c. DE v. MILLER ETAL 2,729,845

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY REMOVING LINT FROM ABOVE AND BELOW THE WARP OF TEXTILE LOOMS Filed Dec. 27, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS CAEPOL 0. M M/LLEE & FRANCIS N. EEC/(5E 63 BY M m ATTORNEYS Jan. 10, 1956 c. DE v. MILLER ETAL 2,729,345

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY REMOVING LINT FROM ABOVE AND BELOW THE WARP OF TEXTILE LOOMS Filed Dec. 27. 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 A77 ENEVS l l l I 1 Jan. 10, 1956 c. DE v. MILLER ET AL 2,729,345

APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY REMOVING LINT FROM ABOVE AND BELOW THE WARP OF TEXTILE LOOMS Filed Dec. 27, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTORS C/LQEOL DE 1/ M/ZZEE Y& FEA/VC/S /V. EEC/(1? 477' ENEVS APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY REMOVING "LINT LFROM 'ABOVE AND BELOW THE' WARP F TEXTILELOOMS fiarrolltdev. Miller,- Rocky River,-and Francis N.:Beclter, .Glevelan'd Ohi0,..assignors:to The American Monorail Company, Cleveland, 0hio,ta corporation of. Ohio Application December 27, 1'9'50,Serial"No.202356 '18 Claims. (Cl. 15--.-312) This invention relates to the art of cleaning textile machinery'an'd is "particularly concerned with new apparatus fforfreeing'a'loom of lintand maintaining it in substantiallylint-free condition.

Heretofore, there has been no automatic apparatus for cleaning looms so'far as we know. The practice hasalways been for an operator to use compressed air to blow accumulated lint oif thevarious parts of the loom from time to time when the. accumulation became so large thatqitinterfered with the weaving operation. Although "ithas long been recognized thatgit would be highly desirable to have apparatus which would automatically. free a loom'of lint and keep it in clean condition, no one has heretofore devised any apparatuswhich was satisfactory for that purpose.

The present invention provides apparatus which .is automatic in operation and is capable of cleaning a plurality of looms and maintaining them. in substantially lint-free condition.

The present invention will be "better understood by those skilled' in the. art from the following description taken withthedrawings which accompany this specification and inwhicb:

Fig. 1 is a sideelevationalview of one embodiment of the'present invention shown in its association with a loom;

Fig. '2 is an end elevational view ofithe apparatus and 'loom'of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an'enlarged"sideelevational view of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1;

"Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the apparatus of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view taken. on line(5-5tof'.Fig. 3 with' parts broken away;

Fig.6 is a bottom plan view of the apparatus ofrFig. 3-witlr parts broken away;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, side view, partly in section, of a mcdified'form of fan housing and nozzleactuating means;

"FigrS is an end view, with parts broken away, of. the apparatus of Fig. 7;

'Fig. 9 is a fragmentary top. plan view, partly in section,-of the apparatus'of Fig. 7;

Fig; 10 is a side elevational view of amodified form, of apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 11- is a top plan'view, with parts broken away, of the nozzle shifting apparatus of Fig. 10; and

Fig. 12 is an end elevational view of the apparatus. of Fig. l0.

"Theapparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 6 includes a monorail track 1 suspended over a loom} of a row of. looms and serving as a runway for trolleys 3 which support a carriage" 4 below the track.

Two'motors' 5 are attached to the carriage 4 on .the underside thereof and theextended rotor shafts 6 of these motors project in opposite'directionsfrom the remote ends-of the motors. "Each shaft 6 has-a-centrifugalfan 7 afiixed to its-end. The carriage, motorssand fans are-positioned' above the: arch G' of the loom and move length- United States Pate 0 2,729,845 Patented Jan. 10, 1956 wise of the. loom harness F. Each centrifugal fan, is. enclosed-in ahousing] S whichhas anaxial air intake 9 and a peripheral nozzle outlet 10 disposed :to direct air down- Wardly'beside.theharness. Each housing Shas plate .11 on its side opposite the intake 9. and this plate is attached to a cylinder"'12 which carries bearingsI-LS supported on shafts 6. Thus, each housing may be.rotated about the rotor shaft 6, so as to change the direction of streams of air issuing from, outlets 10.

The motors 5 are energized by current brought to them vthroughiconductors 15 connected to collectorslo which engage electrically energizedbuslbars ,17 above track 1.

Each cylinder 12 has threaded post 2% extending radially outward therefrom at substantially a rightan'gle to the axis of the rotor shaft 6. Links,21 disposed at sub stantially right angles to the axes of the rotor shafts 6 are adjustably connected at one endto posts 20 and at the other end to plates 22. which are pivotally supported on a pin 23 depending from the carriage 4. A rod 25 disposed at substantially right angles to link 21 isslidably mounted in bearings 26 on the under side of carriage 4 and is connected at its opposite ends to plates 22. Stops 27 attached to rod 25 serve. to engage the adjacent hearing 26 alternately to limit the. extent of endwise movement of rod 25.. Collars 28 are connected to shaft 25 in spaced relation and between them is mounted a. sleeve. 29 which is slidable on the rod 25 and is disposed between the adjacent ends of. two springs 3 the remote ends of which abut against. collars23. Sleeve 29 has an upwardly ,pro- .jecting .pin'31 which is disposed in the bifurcated end of .arm 35 which, is mounted on pivot36 and is connected to a bar 37 disposed at substantially right angles thereto.

pivotally connected to carriage. 4 by pivots 4t and are connected at their free ends by spring 42.

. As is shown in'Fig, 5, pivot 36 extends up through car riaged and is keyed to a lever 45 which is pivotally connected at its .ends to. the ends of links 46. These links are connected intermediate their ends by a spring ,47 and are also connected by two links 48 pivoted thereto and to eachother. One of these links 48 has a lost motionslot 49 in which a pin connected to the other link slides. The slot carrying link is pivotally connected at its freeend to pusher bar'SS. by pin 51. The. free ends of links 46. are beveled as indicated at,56 to engage with the pusherbar .55.

Pusher bar"55 is connected to the end of pusher. rod

57 whichiis lslidably mounted in bearings 53 on top of carriage 4 and edits outer end carries a roller 59 to en description. When. the carriage is moving along track 1 and current is being suppliedto motors 5 with resultant rotation of centrifugal fans 7, streams ,of air will. be blown through outlets i. each of the housings .8. Since the housings are initially set so that the: streams of air are directed downwardly at different angles to the vertical, these streams will trace different, separate paths across the loom 2 on opposite sides of the harness F as the carriage moves over the loom at substantially right angles tothe.Warp,.i..e., parallel to the Warp beam B and cloth roll C. When the carriage next approaches the loom, roller 59 will engage the fixed abutment and thereby will move pusher rod 57 endwise and press pusher bar 55" against the beveled end 56 of one of thelinks 46. The pressureofbar 55 onlink 46' turns "lever45 about the center line of pin and this turning movement shifts the other link 46 and links 48 and 49 and moves the pivotal connection between links 48 and 49 to the other side of the center line of pusher rod 57. Simultaneously the link 46 is moved out of engagement with pusher bar 45 and the other link 46 is brought into engagement therewith. Since arm 35 and bar 37 are keyed to pivot 36, these parts will shiftsimultaneously with lever 45, this shifting movement being resisted by spring 42 which presses lugs 39 against the tapered ends 38 of bar 37. The turning movement of arm 35about the center line of pivot 36 moves sleeve 29 toward the right as seen in Fig. 6, thereby compressing the righthand spring 30 and urging rod 25 endwise toward the right in that figure.

As rod 25 moves endwise, it rotates plates 22 about their pivot pins 23 and these plates move links 21 endwise and thereby rotate cylinders 12 about motor shafts 6 with the result that each of the housings 8 will be shifted or rotated through a short angular distance about shaft 6 and the directions of the streams of air issuing from outlets 10 will be changed. In other Words, when the carriage moves across a given loom the streams of air will blow downwardly from a level above the arch of the loom and on opposite sides of the harness F in directions to trace two different, separate paths across the loom and, on the next passage of the carriage over the loom, the housings will be shifted so that the air streams will then trace different, separate paths across the loom. On the next trip over the loom the streams will be shifted back to the original paths.

Thus, two streams of air may each be caused to trace two paths across the loom, each path being equal to about A of the distance from the warp beam to the edge of the cloth over the cloth roll and in the next passage of the carriage over the loom, the streams of air may be shifted so as to trace two other paths each equal in width to the width of the first pair of paths and covering the half of the loom not covered by the first two paths. Conveniently, in the first passage of the carriage over the loom one stream D may extend from the warp beam about half way to the harness F and the other stream E may extend from the harness to beyond the path of the shuttle, that is, about half way to the edge of the cloth above the cloth roll. On the next passage of the carriage over the loom the first stream of air may be shifted to the position D' so that it will extend from the harness F about half way to the Warp beam and the other stream E will extend from the edge ofthe cloth over the cloth roll beyond the path of the shuttle and about half way to the harness.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show a modified form of housing and nozzle shifting means. In these figures the apparatus is generally the same as that shown in Figs. 1 to 6, the principal difierence being in the details of construction of the housing and its shifting means.

The link 21a is connected to a threaded post 20a which is fixed at its ends in a bracket 60. The motor 5a has a rotor shaft 6a which projects only a short distance beyond the motor housing as compared with motor shaft 6 of Fig. 2. A disk 61 carries a bearing 61a which is mounted on shaft 6a so that the disk may remain fixed while the shaft rotates. Posts 62 are afiixed to the motor housing and to disk 61 to support and prevent the plate from rotating. At its outer periphery disk 61 is surrounded by two rings 63, each substantially half as thick as the disk 61. Housing 8a, which is substantially like housing 8 of Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, is secured to the outer periphery of these rings 63. These rings are connected together (by means not shown) and are attached to bracket 60 as by cap screws 64. The outer periphery of disk 61 and the inner peripheries of rings '63 are cut away to provide a runway for ball bearings 65. Rods 21a may be actuated endwise by means substantially like the means shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and in cluding cam 22, rod 25 and rod 57.

When the housing shifting mechanism including rod' 25, cam 22 and link 21 are shifted as described above in connection with Figs. .1 to 6, rings 63 are moved rotatively on disk 61 and shift housing 8a rotatably on that disk so as to trace paths across the loom as de' scribed in connection with apparatus of Figs. 1 to 6.

It will be understood that the extent of shifting of the housings 8 and 8a depends on the location of the link 21 or 21:: on posts 20 or 20a, respectively. When either of these rods is located near the outer end of its post the angle through which the housing is shifted is at its maximum and' when the connection of either rod is near the inner end of its post the angularity of the shifting of the housing is at its minimum. Thus, by adjusting the position of the connection of the links on the posts, any desired angularity of shifting of the streams of air may be obtained within the limits permitted by the adjustment of the rods on the posts.

If, however, it is desired to employ only one blower instead of two, one of the two units comprising one motor and blower and the linkage connections associated therewith maybe omitted. In this case provision should be made to shift the remaining housing 8 into four difierent positions so as to trace ,four paths across the loom such as are traced by the two above described blowers. To that end, other shifting mechanism may be substituted for the mechanism hereinabove described, one form of mechanism suitable for this purpose being shown in Figs. 10 to 12, inclusive.

In the modification shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 12, a single motor 5b is supported beneath a carriage 4a which, in turn, is supported by trolleys 3 running on track 1. The horizontally extended rotor shaft 612 carries a centrifugal fan 7 at its outer end and projects through a disk 61b which is supported by struts 62b projecting from the motor housing. This disk carries two rings 63b on its periphery, the ringsbeing freely rotatable on the disk by reason of intervening roller bearings 65b. These rings 63b are connected to each other and to fan housing 8a which surrounds them by means not shown.

The outer ring 631) has an outstanding post 73 to which is attached one end of rod 21a. A pivot post 74 extending downwardly from carriage 4a supports a cam 75. The other end of rod 21a is connected to this cam, as is also one end of rod 25a. The other end of rod 25a is pivotally connected to cam 22a which is supported for rotation with shaft 36a which extends up through carriage 411. Above carriage 4a, shaft 36a has keyed thereto a plate unit 76 consisting of two rectangularplates spaced apart from each other a short distance and provided with a pair of aligned notches 77 on each of the four sides. Rod 57a carries a roller 59 at one end and slides in bearings 58a attached to carriage 4a. A collar 77:: keyed to rod 57a and a spring 78, which is compressed between that collar and one bearing 58a, serves to move rod 57a in a direction opposite to that caused by the engagement of roller 59 with a fixed abutment and thus restores the rod substantially to the position shown in Fig. 11 after actuation by the engagement of roller 57 with the abutment. At its end oppositeroller 59, rod 57a has a block 79 which pivotally carries a finger 80 of a size to enter the aligned pair of V notches 77 in unit 76. This finger is urged by a spring '(not shown) into a position at right angles to the axis of rod 57a, i. e., to the position shown in Fig. 11 and is provided with stop means to limit its motion in the direction in which it is urged by the spring. In other words, the finger 80 may move into a position parallel to the axis of rod 57a by overcoming the resistance of the spring when the finger engages an abutment during the return stroke of rod 57a but when the abutment no longer engages the finger the spring takes over and restores the finger to a position at right angles to the rod.

A rod 81 mounted to slide endwise in bearings 82 on carriage 4a and parallel to rod 57a is provided with a bifurcated end 83. The extremities of this end are fitted straddle a corner thereof, the unit will=be fixed in positionand as a result the-ta-nhousing-8awilh be fixed inuposition. When roller 59engagesanabutment along the track 1 and rod 57a is thereby moved endwisefinger 80 will be.pressedagainst-unit 76 and willrotate that unit.

. As the unit rotates, the finger 80-moves intoanaligned pair of slots 77, rotatesthe unit 90. and moves out of the slots. When roller. 59 moves out of engagement with the abutment along the'track,.-spring=78 takes over and urges rod 57a endwise ini the opposite. direction. and this movement of the rodbrings finger-80- into contact with unit 77 which serves as an. abutment-to rotate the finger against the spring attached thereto. When the free end of-the finger passes the adjacentcornerof unit '76, the spring serves tore'store the finger to its normal position as shown in Figdll.

The 90 rotation. of unit "76. results: in shifting the outlet a of housing 8a..frommne of-the four. positions to an adjacent position, :allas indicated in Fig. 12. Thus, with thestream of air issuingfromfnozzle 100 being "of sufficient-size to cover. approximately 25% of the width of the loom and with the use of theg'ust describedmechanism,1 the stream ofiair may be made to trace four separate paths across 'the loomin as. many passages thereover. ltwill be understood that a single fan device such as is shown by this modification shouldwbe. used to clean only about 'half as many looms as the double fan device of Figs. 1 to 9, inclusive.

It willbeunderstood that'the modified form ofapparatus shown in Figs. 10 to 12, inclusive, operates in sub stantially the same manner as has been described. above in connection with Figs. 1 to 9, inclusive.

The volume and velocity of. air which is delivered to the loom are critical. If the volume or velocity is too great the air willactuateithe stop motions and shutdown the loom; and, on 'the warp side of the loom, will blow down through. the warp and onto the floor where it will stir upilint and blow it toward other machines; and on the cloth side of the loom there will be much more air than the operatorsldesire. We have found that when the air stream at. the clothlevel of the loom has a lineal speed of between. about 2,000 and. about 2,800 feet per minute trade volume of between about 800 and about 1,200 cubic feet per minute, the loom will: be effectively and satisfactorily cleaned and will continue to operate properly. Airinsmaller-volume or at lower velocity, or both, will be ineffective incleaning: the: parts of the loom beneath the warpwhile air in greater amounts or at greater-velocity, or both, will. actuate the stop motions and create undesired conditions. in general, the velocity maybe thesame for both the. waipand cloth sides of the loom but the volume shouldbe. a little less for the cloth side than for the warp side. Theforegoing. limits include these variations.

The volume and" velocity ofairatuthe clothlevel may be varied withinthe. foregoing limits in various ways. If a given blower installation delivers too great a volume of air, the volumelmay be decreased by. fitting a ring into the intakeopening as opening 9 of Fig. 4, the radial width of this ring being suchtas to reduce the air takenin sufiiciently to bring the volume of air delivered through the outlet opening down. to the desired amount. in other words, byvarying thesize ofathe intake with what might be called adapter rings, thetvolume of air deliveredat the cloth level may be varied as desired.

If it is desired to vary the velocityvof the air at the cloth level, this may be done by varying the distance beextension: which releases: the air: closer to the arch. of: the

doom. Similarly, if the velocity at the cloth level istoxbe decreased, the blower. installation may be moved. farther away from. the arch of theloom or the outlet fromrthe fan housing may Ibe etfectively raised by taking away removable extensions thereof.

Having thus described the present invention so that othersskilled in the art. maybe able to understand and practice thesame, we state that what we desire to secure byLetters Patent is defined in what. is claimed.

:What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for cleaning textile looms comprising a frame toitravel repeatedly over a row of: looms, amotor carried-by said uframeuand having asubstantially horizontalrotor shaft, a centrifugal. fan fixed to saidwshaft, a substantially vertical casing around said fan. and having a substantially vertical nozzle opening downwardly from the casing on one sideofthe harnesses ofthe looms,said fan when rotating and traveling over the looms serving to discharge air through the nozzle and down onto thewarp of the looms in a stream substantiallyless in width at the warplevel than: the length of the Warp. from the Warproll tothe. harness and capable of passingbetween. the warp strandsand removing lint from parts of the looms below the warp level in the path of the stream: but incapable ofactuating the stop motions of the looms, and-means operatively associated which said nozzle for automatically and at regular intervals reciprocating said stream about a horizontal axis substantially parallel to. the line of travel of the frame to move the stream substantially normal to the line of travel of the frame in a manner that during repeated movements of the blower over the looms the air stream is directed in varying directions against: each: loom and in a manner to pass said stream.betweensubstantially all the warp strands on the loomsandbetween substantially all the different portions of thosestrands from the warp roll to the harness of each loomduring repeated movements of the frame over the looms.

2. Apparatus. for cleaning textile looms comprising. a

frame to travel repeatedly over a row of looms, a motor carried by said frame, a centrifugal fan rotatable by said motor about a substantially horizontal axis, a substantially vertical casing around said fan and having a substantially vertical. nozzle opening downwardly from the casing on the warp roll'side of the harnesses of the looms, said fanwhen. rotating andtraveling over the looms serving to discharge air through the nozzle and down onto the warp of the looms in a stream substantially less in width at the Warp level than the length of the warp from the warp roll to the harness and capable of passing between the warp strands and removing lint from parts-of the looms below the'warp level in the path of the stream but incapable of actuating the stop motions of the looms, and means operatively' associated with said nozzle for automatically andat regular intervals reciprocating said stream about a horizontal axis substantially parallel to the line of. travel of the frame to move the stream substantially normal to the line of travel of the frame in a manner that during repeated movements of the blower over the looms the air stream is directed in varying directions against each loom and in a manner to pass said stream between substantially all the warp strands on the looms and between substantially all the different portions of those strands from the warp roll to the harness of each loom during repeated movements of the frame over the looms.

3. Apparatus for cleaning textile looms comprising a frame to travel repeatedly over a row of looms, a motor carried by said frame, a centrifugal fan rotatable by said motor about a substantially horizontal axis, a substantially vertical casing around said fan and having a substantially vertical nozzle opening downwardly from the casing on the cloth rollside of the harnesses of the looms, said fan when rotating and traveling over the looms. serving to discharge air through the nozzle and down onto 'the warp of the looms in a stream substantially less in the warp strands and removing lint from parts of the looms below the warp level in the path of the stream but incapable of actuating the stop motions of the looms, and means operatively associated with said nozzle for automatically and at regular intervals reciprocating said stream about a horizontal axis substantially parallel to the line of travel of the frame to move the stream substantially normal to the line of travel of the frame in a manner that during repeated movements of the blower over the looms the air stream is directed in varying directions against each loom and in a manner to pass said stream between substantially all the warp strands on the looms and between substantially all the different portions of those strands from the harness to the cloth of each loom during repeated movements of the frame over the looms.

4. Apparatus for cleaning textile looms comprising a frame to travel repeatedly over a row of looms, motor means carried by said frame, centrifugal fans rotatable by said motor means about substantially horizontal axes, substantially vertical casings around said fans and having substantially vertical nozzles opening downwardly from the casings on opposite sides of the harnesses of the looms, said fans when rotating and traveling over the looms serving to discharge air through the nozzles and down onto the warp of the loom in streams substantially less in width at the warp level than the length of the warp from the cloth to the harness and capable of passing between the warp strands and removing lint from parts of the looms below the warp level in the paths of the streams but incapable of actuating the stop motions of the looms and means operatively associated with said nozzles for automatically and at regular intervals oscillating said streams about horizontal axes substantially parallel to the line of travel of the frame to move the streams substantially normal to the line of travel of the frame'in a manner that during repeated movements of the blower over the looms the air streams are directed in varying directions against each loom and in a manner to pass said streams between substantially all the warp strands on the looms and between substantially all the different portions of those strands from the harness to the warp roll and to the cloth of each loom during repeated movements of the frame over the looms.

5. Apparatus for cleaning textile looms comprising a frame to travel repeatedly over a row of looms, a motor carried by said frame and having a substantially horizontal rotor shaft disposed with its axis substantially parallel to the line of travel of the frame, a centrifugal fan afiixed to said shaft, a substantially vertical casing around said fan, oscillatable about the axis of said shaft and having a nozzle disposed to direct air downwardly from the casing on one side of the harnesses to the looms, said fan when rotating and traveling over the looms serving to discharge air through the nozzle and down onto the warp of the looms in a stream substantially less in width at the warp level than the length of the warp from the warp roll to the harness and capable of passing between the warp strands and removing lint from parts of the looms below the warp level in the path of the stream but incapable of actuating the stop motions of the looms and means operatively associated with said casing for automatically'and at regular intervals oscillating said casing about said rotor shaft axis to move the stream substantially normal to the line of travel of the frame in a manner that during repeated movements of the blower over the looms the air stream is directed in varying dnections against each loom and in a manner to pass said stream between substantially all the warp strands on the looms and between substantially all the different portions of those strands from the warp roll to the harness of each loom during repeated movements of the frame over the looms. V

6. Apparatus for cleaning textile looms comprising a frame to travel repeatedly over a row of looms, a motor carried by said frame, a centrifugal fan rotatable by said motor about a substantially horizontal axis, a substantially vertical casing around said fan and having a nozzle disposed to direct air downwardly from the casing on one side of the harnesses of the looms, said fan when ro-' tating and traveling over the looms serving to discharge air through the nozzle and down onto the warp of the looms in a stream substantially less in width at the warp level than the length of the warp from the warp roll to the harness and capable of passing between the warp strands and removing lint from parts of the looms below the warp level in the path of the stream but incapable of actuating the stop motions of the looms, and means operatively associated with said nozzle for automatically and at regular intervals oscillating said nozzle about an axis substantially parallel to the line of travel of the frame to move the stream substantially normal to the line of travel of the frame in a manner that during repeated movements of the blower over the looms the air stream is directed in varying directions against each loom and in a manner to pass said stream between substantially all the warp strands on the looms and between substantially all the different portions of those strands from the warp roll to the harness of each loom during repeated movements of the frame over the looms.

7. A traveling cleaner mounted for travel above and transversely of the warp of a plurality of textile looms which comprises a frame, two casings each having a depending nozzle, two motors supported by and fixed against movement relative to the frame, two centrifugal fans one in each casing and fixed to the rotor shafts of said motors for rotation by the latter, said shafts extending substantially parallel to the line of travel of the cleaner and spaced apart therealong in approximate alignment with the fans on the remote ends of the shafts, said fans acting during the travel of the cleaner to draw air from the room into the casings and to discharge the air through the nozzles in streams on opposite sides of the loom harness and extending lengthwise of the warp and having high velocity, low volume and restricted areas at the warp level and being capable of removing lint from above the warp and of blowing through the warp and removing lint from loom parts below the warp but incapable of actuating the stop motions of the looms, and means connected to the nozzles and acting during the travel of the cleaner automatically and simultaneouslyto cause said streams of air to move about axes substantially parallel to the line of travel of said cleaner and length wise of the warp.

8. A traveling cleaner mounted for travel above and transversely of the warp at a plurality of textile looms which comprises a frame, two casings each having a depending nozzle, two motors supported by and fixed against movement relative to the frame, each motor having a rotor shaft extending substantially parallel to the line of travel of said cleaner, said casings being rotatable about the longitudinal axes of said rotor shafts, two centrifugal fans one in each casing and fixed to the rotor shafts of said motors for rotation by the latter, said fans acting during the travel of the cleaner to draw air from the room into the casings and to discharge the air from the casings and to discharge the air through the nozzles down upon the warp of the looms in streams extending lengthwise of the warp on opposite sides of the loom harness and having high velocity, low volume and restricted areas at the warp level and being capable of removing lint from above the warp and of blowing through the warp and removing lint from loom parts below the warp but incapable of actuating the stop motions of the looms, and means connected to the nozzles and acting during the travel of the cleaner automatically and simultaneously to rotate the casings and thereby to cause said streams of air to move lengthwise of the warp.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Cessna Aug. 21, 1906 Farrell May 4, 1920 Kenney Mar. 6, 1923 Radimak July 22, 1924 Cummings Dec. 2, 1924 Kenney et a1. Dec. 9, 1924 Smith May 10, 1932 Smith Aug. 1, 1933 10 Terrell Ian. 8, 1935 Ackerman June 9, 1936 Hodge July 14, 1936 Linder Dec. 8, 1936 Hodge Dec. 8, 1936 Hodge Dec. 8, 1936 Eaddy Dec; 13, 1938 Lawrence et a1 Oct. 10, 1939 Hodge Dec. 26, 1939 Lawrence Aug. 4, 1942 Miller July 25, 1950 Moore Sept. 16, 1952 

